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Right now, Patch & Clark Design are working towards a goal of snapping the portraits of 7,000 Tucsonans. The photos will then be placed on tiles which will be used in the reconstruction of the underpass.

If you want to be a part of Tucson history, why not visit one of the photo shoots being held through February and get your photo taken?

How did you get there?:

Shoot locations and schedule vary, see the website for details.

How often does this take place?:

Through February 2009

Are there any costs or fees?:

Absolutely free (except the gas to drive there!)

Any websites associated with this To-Do?:

http://www.tucsonportraitproject.com/

What should I bring?:

Your smiling face and sparkling eyes!

This post was submitted by KelSpark.

We finished just in time to catch the trolley which runs along 4^th Avenue to University and back. We exited in front of Gentle Ben’s and walked a block through the main entrance to campus.

I spread a blanket in the shade and just sat, relaxing, and doing a bit of writing. My husband and kids enjoyed running through the grass and looking at the various designs, that many consider art, on campus. There were quite a few people strolling through campus, walking their dogs, playing with their children. Some co-eds were jogging and a number were riding skateboards.

We then re-boarded the trolley which took us back to 4^th Avenue, where I went into a smoke shop to buy a hookah for my brother. We definitely decided to leave the kids outside with my husband for this one. There is also a food co-op, Food Conspiracy, where we have shopped for years so we stopped in and picked up a few basics.

Overall, it was a great way to spend the day and apparently a lot of other families with young children felt the same way as they brought their scooters, bikes, and other ride-ons downtown and to campus.

Cutters Point Coffee

A few years ago, a friend of mine opened up a Cutters Point Coffee shop on the Northwest Side of town. She has since sold her share of the company, but I continue to visit because I like the environment. Unlike Starbucks, Cutters Point is quiet; some would use terms like “quaint” and “cozy” to describe the atmosphere and they’d be right.

It has been a couple of months since I have visited so I thought I’d take my laptop and head down with the intention of getting some work done without the constant interruption of small children. One of the nicest things about Cutters Point is the free WiFi access. I spent a couple of hours just relaxing, listening to the music that plays over the speakers, checking my email, and once in a while nodding a brief hello to acquaintances that came in.

The prices are comparable to Starbucks and the drink menu is pretty much the same. They also offer an assortment of pastries and desserts. The biggest difference, and frankly its best attribute, is its staff. They are friendly, courteous, prompt, and helpful. I’d rather pay $5 for a coffee drink at Cutters Point than I would at Starbucks simply because the teens and young adults behind the counter have customer service down to a T.

When I was there it was not very crowded, although there did seem to be the occasional waves of people. There were a handful of others, all on laptops like myself, taking advantage of the free Internet use.

Cutters Point Coffee is located at 6435 N. Thornydale Road. They are open Monday through Friday from 5:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m., Saturday from 6:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., and Sunday from 7:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

You can read more about Cutters Point Coffee at www.cutterspoint.com.

With roughly eight thousand (yep, you read that right) different types of wine, two thousand types of spirits, and one thousand different beers, Total Wine seems to have cornered the market on all things alcohol.  In case you haven’t heard, Total Wine is the new beverage store located at 4370 N. Oracle Road.  They are open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m.

My husband and I went to check it out the other day.  The place is like Alcohol Mecca.  It has everything you could think of and all at warehouse prices, similar to Costco.  We were impressed with their selection of wine and with over 8,000 choices, who wouldn’t be?  There were various wine selections appropriate for all occasions and meals, with staff eagerly waiting to make recommendations.

Probably the best aspect of Total Wine is the Penny Wine Tasting.  You heard right!  Just a penny!  This wine tasting occurs every Friday and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 12:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.  When my sister first told me about this, I thought that there must be some type of catch.  Certainly you can’t go into a store, pay only a penny, and then sample all the wine.  But it’s true.  They have very knowledgeable staff to help instruct you on food pairing for the different wines they are sampling.  You simply pay your penny (or a larger donation if you feel the need to), grab a glass, and let the tasting begin.

There are some die hard snobs (although really, how snobby can you possibly be when sampling wine in a store) that seem to congregate (you just have to push through them), but there are others like myself who just wanted to be exposed to new and different types of wines.  I left with a terrific Merlot to try with dinner tonight.  So, if you are ever in need of last minute plans for the weekend, stop by Total Wine for the wine tasting.  It’s practically free.

We recently spent some time in Tempe and got to see firsthand their new light rail system. It got me to thinking about how neat something like that would be in Tucson. I guess the closest thing we have by comparison is the Old Pueblo Trolley and truly that is not really a fair comparison. However, this past weekend my husband and I decided to take the kids downtown for a ride. Amazingly, in all the years I have lived in Tucson, it is something I have never done.

The trolley runs along 4^th Avenue between 4^th and 8^th Streets. You can hop on the trolley essentially in front of O’Malley’s along 4^th or in front of Gentle Bens on University. The route runs an L-shape along the two streets leading up to the main University of Arizona entrance. It’s actually a pretty nice little ride, especially with the weather being so beautiful. I’m not sure how nice a ride it would be in July when it’s 112 degrees outside, though as I am fairly certain it is not air conditioned

The trolley only runs Friday, Saturday, and Sunday so it appears to be more a service for fun rather than for practicality, but it was exciting nonetheless. On Friday it runs from 6:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m., on Saturday from noon until midnight, and on Sunday from noon until 6:00 p.m. On Friday and Saturday the cost is $1 per person each way and 50 cents for children ages 6 to 12. On Sunday everyone can ride for 25 cents each way. They charge for all children on Sunday as well.

Along the ride you are given a brief lesson in history about the trolley. It’s really informative. The original trolley was pulled by horses in the late 1800’s. It became electric in 1906. The particular “car” that runs now was purchased from Japan in 1952. Ironically, it cost only $800 to purchase, but $25,000 to ship to the United States. There are still engravings and signs in the trolley that bear the language of its origins. I also learned that the trolley is run strictly by volunteers. Probably the best part, though, was to just be able to sit there, relax, and take it all in. You certainly see the area from a different perspective than you would driving your own car or even walking along 4^th and/or University.

We rode the trolley down to University where we hopped off and decided to walk around a bit. When the trolley came back through a while later we boarded again to take us back to 4^th Avenue to where we had parked. It is certainly easier than trying to find parking along University, so it was worth it and definitely something to keep in mind for future trips downtown.

For more information visit their website at http://www.oldpueblotrolley.org.

Having spent my childhood in Virginia, I didn’t learn very much about the history of other states. In fact, I don’t remember learning much of anything about Arizona history at all. So, I decided to check out the Arizona Historical Society Museum at 949 East Second Street here in Tucson to learn more about it.

When I first walked in the door, a nice lady greeted me, and gave me a brief overview of the museum. She also explained the pricing and told me that tickets cost five dollars for adults, four for students, and it was free for children. Unfortunately I didn’t have any cash on me though, so they did have to charge me an extra dollar to process my Visa card. But, I figured it was okay since the prices were so reasonable.

The museum started with a history of medicine in Arizona. It showed really interesting artifacts such as 19^th century medical equipment, examination tables, and what medicine looked like and was made of back in that era (what staggered me is that ingredients like morphine and cocaine were perfectly normal in over-the-counter remedies). There were also more modern historical artifacts such as an iron lung that would have been used in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Then, to tie things together at the end of the exhibit, there was an explanation of how the hospitals of this area got started such as Tucson Medical Center, University Medical Center, and Saint Mary’s.

The next part of the museum focused on transportation. There were saddles on display, a Studebaker car that would have been used by law enforcement officials back in the early part of the 20^th century, and what I considered the show stopper, the old time Stage Coach that would have been used for travel back in the 1800’s.

After the transportation exhibit, there was a very large and interesting room filled with information about mining in Arizona, which was the primary reason this area thrived. There was an almost scary tunnel erected to allow visitors to experience the feel of what it was like to work in the mines. The rest of the room was dedicated to what life would be like in a mining town. There were also pictures and artifacts (including clothing) from the 1800’s that illustrated life during those times.

Another exhibit focused on mock ups of what homes would look like back when Arizona was first getting established. There was a bedroom, a living room, and a dining room with a sample meal placed on the table. What was particularly striking about that was how little was on the table. There were just a few peas, a few slices of tomato, and a lettuce leaf. If this is truly a sample meal of what would have been eaten on a normal day during that time period, I’m glad I live in a time where there is more available!

All in all, I really enjoyed the Arizona Hisotical Society Museum. There were lots of interesting artifacts and exhibits that not only focused on the early history of Arizona, but also on more modern times.

After spending the morning at the Historical Society Museum, I decided to head over to Main Gate Square to have lunch and do some shopping. I’d never been before, but a friend convinced me it was worth going, so I wanted to see for myself. And I found out she was right; there were lots of clothing stores, restaurants, art, and the best part was that every other shop seemed to serve coffee. An aspect that was really exciting for me since I am a complete coffee addict.

What’s kind of surprised me about Main Gate Square is that despite the fact that mostly young college age students seem to hang out here, it’s one of the oldest shopping districts in Tucson. The first shop was built in 1922 by the first female professor at the University of Arizona, and students took to it. Today, there are more than 20 restaurants, and many shops such as salons, massage parlors, sportswear shops, and even places to buy original artwork.

I began my visit at FuKu Sushi, since I really love Japanese food, although I kind of had a tough decision as to where to go since there were so many types to choose from. When I sat down, I’m pretty sure I made a good choice since there was a large selection at a really reasonable price. I settled on a combination plate that had a California roll with a few pieces of sashimi that only cost me twelve bucks complete with soup and salad.

After I paid my bill, I headed over to the University of Arizona bookstore, which had more to offer than just text books. You could purchase any number of University of Arizona items such as clothing, notebooks, pens, pencils, etc. as well as things that didn’t have anything to do with U of A at all. There were magazines, cards, books of all kinds (not just text books), and even things for your home or dorm room like lamps and desk items.

When I finished at the U of A bookstore, I decided to do some window shopping, and went by a bunch of different shops, salons, and art stores. The coolest place I went was the Salud Spa bar, which was a place where you could actually blend your own lotions, perfume and that type of thing. I had actually never heard of such a place, but really found the concept exciting and cool.

After a a quick detour to Espresso Art, which is one of the many coffee shops at Main Gate, I decided I should head home. But the trip was totally worth it. I’ll probably go back soon though as the place had a really modern artistic vibe, lots of shops to check out, and more coffee shops to sample.

After spending the last ten winters in the frozen tundra of upstate New York, I kind of miss the snow. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a big fan of sub-zero climates, but it’s kind of fun bundling up and heading out for a winter stroll when the weather isn’t so bad. Winter has its charm, so over the holidays my husband, son and I headed up to Summerhaven, Mt. Lemmon to enjoy snow and cooler weather.

Located about 47 miles away from Tucson, the drive up to Mt. Lemmon was really fantastic. It did take about an hour and a half to get there because of the steep elevation, but it honestly didn’t feel that long at all because of the scenery. It was really interesting to see the views of the city below, the rock formations, and the way the landscape changes from cacti to large trees as you get further away from the desert below.

Once up to the top, we decided to get out the stroller and walk through the white wonderland. We arrived early enough that there was nobody else there, so we were able to take a secluded walk through the streets lined with log cabins and trees. It was a little icy, so we had to be extra careful with the stroller where the snow plows missed, but mostly it was magic walking past cozy cottages and enjoying the sounds of snow. There was babbling brook we passed and the general sounds of nature that can be heard when the still quiet snow allows them to come to life.

After about an hour or so, we headed back to our car to take in lunch at the Iron Door Restaurant, right next to the skiing area. Once there, it was really quaint and cozy with rustic surroundings and a fireplace, with a real wood fire that added to the ambiance of a secluded winter cabin. The food was mostly just sandwiches, but the portions were good, and each came with a side of German potato salad and cabbage.

Once we finished lunch, even though we got there early, the entire mountain was packed with skiers and those that wanted to experience the snow. We did head back over to the Mt. Lemmon café for a piece of pie, though, and braved the crowds. We ordered the peach and the raspberry, and at $9.00 a slice, neither of us was able to finish it!

After our pie, we decided to walk up and down the main street to kind of see what there was available. We saw a pizza place, a general store, and there were tons and tons of people playing in the snow and walking by this point. It was actually kind of fun to meet new people. We met a family who had come up from south of the border and a couple who had five dogs who had come up from Tucson for some fun in the snow.

Eventually it got so crowded, we decided to head back home. All in all though, we really enjoyed our little day trip up to Mt. Lemmon. It was a lot of fun to see the snow and experience the change in climate just a short distance away from Tucson. The only recommendation I have is to come early and miss the crowds.

The movie screening was scheduled for 8:00 p.m., so we headed downtown to arrive around 7:30 p.m.  to be sure to have enough time to find a parking spot near the theatre, located 17 W. Congress, just west of Stone Avenue.  We fortunately found a spot in a small lot located just south of Congress off of Stone and since it was after normal business hours, their was no parking cost.

We headed to the ticket office and I noticed that the original box office located right in front of the theater was being staffed by an inflatable snowman.  We picked up our tickets, which were cheaper than regular movie tickets, at $8.00 for each adult admission.  We also noted that they offered student discounts, though both of us are long past the days of possessing student IDs.

We walked into the main lobby and were greeted by very friendly ticket-takers.  Something about this movie-going experience felt different the second we entered the old theater, with richly-colored carpet and soft lighting.  The decor the of the establishment has been restored closely to its original 1930s-era splendor. This theater was once a pillar of the downtown community and home to film screenings and the Mickey Mouse Club, which my father remembers attending in the 1950s.

However, the changing landscape of downtown Tucson meant that the theater sat forgotten, with a boarded up front, since the mid 1970s.  In recent years, a non-profit, the Fox Tucson Theatre Foundation, formed to renovate and revive the venue.  Thanks to the devotion of many volunteers and fundraising efforts, the Fox reopened and now boasts a variety of events, including live theater, musical performances, and film screenings.

We made our way up the carpeted stairs, to find seats in the balcony.  Fortunately, we found one of the last loveseats available in the balcony.  There were families and couples in the balcony, which offered a great view of the screen.  While we waited for the movie to start, old photos of the theater and its patrons from decades ago were projected on the screen. The theater was filled with the aroma of freshly-popped corn served in vintage-looking red and white striped boxes.

Unlike the usual movie experience, ushers made their way through the theater to ask rowdy children to settle in the their seats. The movie was great and it was a novelty to watch a film without fancy surround-sound which was projected from an old film reel.

After the movie, I was little curious to explore the rest of the theater and poked around a bit, just to get a sense of the layout.  The upstairs lobby area does include a display case of relics discovered during the renovation, everything from old popcorn boxes and movie tickets to vintage usher uniforms.

Spending an evening at the Fox was like stepping back in time.  I will definitely keep any of their future performances on my radar, as it is a way to reinhabit the downtown area and support the efforts of those concerned with preserving Tucson’s history.

For more information on showtimes and tickets, visit: http://www.foxtucsontheatre.org/.  If you are interested in volunteering or making donations to the non-profit, there are many ways to get involved!